The Daily News MONDAY, MARCH 5. BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8057, 5 March 1906, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, MARCH 5. BOROUGH AFFAIRS.

In u recent issue our evening contemporary net itself tbe tuslc of whitewashing the blunders committed by tbe New Plymouth civic authorities, in the expenditure of tbe £97,000 loan moneys, and it seems to have almost succeeded in satisfying itself Unit there is not much to complain of. At the outset it is necessary that we should correct the false impression created— unwittingly, uoiluubt by our contemporary, that the present Borough Council is about to go out of ollice. The present Council was only elected lust year, and consequently has still another twelve months to serve. Tbe forthcoming election, in which tbe ratepayers, we are pleased to note, are giving earnest of taking an intelligent interest, is for the Mayoralty. The " Herald" devotes considerable space endeavouring to show that tbe blaflio for any niiil-administration of tbe loan mon ins must not be charged to tbe present Mayor and Councillors, but to a previous Council which initiated tbe schemes. Ho far as we are concerned, we have never attempted to place tbe blame on tbe shoulders of the sitting Council, or any one in particular. Our main object in writing was to j awaken interest in municipal matters, and no '.r.ore effective means of doing so exists than by giving plain, unvarnished facts. * * * It was shown that tbe. bounces of tbe Borough were not in a position to stand further strain, and it is noticeable, in this connection, that the •' licrald " refiains from oll'ering the . slightest criticism of our ligures. Since, however, tbe question has been raised, it may be pointod out that tbe present Council was iu ulliee when tbe £7OOO loan was raised that was to complete the water works and electrie lighting. How far the Council alio we I itself to be misled, is evident from the fact that already additional liabilities, amounting to I'I.SHH, have been incurred ou the electric lighting scheme. Whatever previous Councils may have to answer for, the present body is reponsiVe for that amount incurred over and above the estimates computed during its term of ollice. Wo did not snv that the ti l;):-! now required to complete tbe installation was not necessary, but what we did strongly object to was the manner in which the Council voted the money. Would any business man involve himself in liabilities to that amount without making same provision for meeting them I Yet that isexactly what, the Council did,ill refusing to refer tbe report to a finance committee. Neither tbe Mayor nor any of the Councillors was in u position to state how tbe liability was to le met.

* * * * As 110 now Council lias to bo elected this year, wo are at a loss to appreciate the point of the " Herald's'' argument that " the Council would have good grounds for complaining of the lack of business ability of its predecessors," who are themselves. It is, however, immaterial for our purpose whether a neiv Council had to bo elected or not., and we still adhere to our former statement that the Council had no right to mortgage next year's revenue, without swift investigation of the position. While there is little to be gained bv harping upon past blundering, and still less by levelling carping criticism at those who are giving their time and atteu ti 111 to civic affairs, it is none the less necessary that costly mistakes the " Herald " calls tlieni " errors of judgment "—must be publicly criticised, in order that the public may see to it that like errors are not to be again committed. The errors of the past may be atoned for, and the town saved from suffering from the effects of inal-adiniiiistiation, by the inauguration of a scheme of rigid economy the usual result of colonial municipal borrowing mania.